Devices for creating visual designs are known in the art, including devices which enable the user to avoid direct contact with the medium used to generate the design.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,597,099 discloses a device for finger painting which includes a substantially funnel-shaped cap member for fitting over the tip portion of a finger and a marking member which retains the paint or marking substance and to which the cap member is flexibly or fixedly secured.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,921 discloses a decorative device for displaying overlapping colors both in a static symmetrical configuration and in a kinetic, random and constantly changing pattern. The device consists of at least two sheet-like chambers in a face to face relationship. In each chamber there are at least two immiscible fluid phases of different specific gravities each of a different color.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,533 discloses a device for producing visual aesthetic effects which includes a vessel with a wall which transmits light and which contains at least two liquids of different density which are not completely and not permanently miscible with each other. The aesthetic effects result from the bringing together in the vessel at least three liquids as described in detail therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,835 discloses a display device comprising a transparent chamber containing three mutually immiscible liquids two of which are colored yellow, cyan or magenta with an external region colored yellow, cyan or magenta. Static, the device displays four or more colored regions or a "liquid rainbow." When deformed or inverted, the display device creates a multicolor kinetic display which, upon standing, separates back into the "liquid rainbow."
U.S. Pat. No. 4,419,283 discloses a display device which depends on the movement of a plurality of mutually immiscible liquids, and wherein the liquid movement may be induced by deformation of the flexible sheet-like walls by, e.g., finger pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,087 discloses a closed finger painting device comprising a rigid base member to which a number of closed, clear, flexible, sealed bags are attached. Each bag contains a colorful, transparent fluid which can be manipulated within each bag by pressing the bag with one's fingers. When the fluids in more than one bag overlap, they create an optical impression of being mixed to create new colors.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,847 discloses "encapsulated art," i.e., a display device comprising a first layer sandwiched between a base and a nonporous transparent second layer through which the art is viewed. The first layer consists of a non-flowable, kneadable material of putty-like consistency which has at least two colors in adjoining areas. The kneadable material of the first layer is spread within the device by applying pressure to the material creating a plurality of different shaped colored portions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,210 discloses a liquid-containing decorative device for securement upon articles of wearing apparel for purposes of ornamentation. The decorative device carries a predetermined amount of liquid of predetermined coloration which moves in response to the physical action of the wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,595 discloses a composite sheet for forming visually observable designs which includes a transparent deformable upper layer having a plurality of pockets formed therein, a transparent intermediate layer sealed to the upper layer along edges of the pockets to form a plurality of containers, a lower layer connected to the intermediate layer and having a plurality of fluid activatable invisible designs formed thereon, and invisible design activation fluid contained within the containers to transform the invisible designs into visually observable designs upon breaking of the intermediate layer adjacent the containers by pressure exerted against the upper layer and subsequent contact of the fluid with the lower layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,953 discloses a process of transferring a printing medium from a printing medium coated member to a flexible receiving substrate by pressing selected areas of the substrate against the coated member whereby an impression print is created without the painter coming into direct contact with the printing medium.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,080 discloses a finger painting apparatus which includes a housing secured to the backhand portion of a user's hand by a flexible attachment strap. The housing supports a plurality of inverted paint bottles coupled to a corresponding plurality of flexible tubes at one end thereof. The remaining ends of the flexible tubes are coupled to a plurality of pad housings secured to the user's finger tips and supporting a plurality of porous paint pads on the undersurfaces thereof. The liquid paint material within the inverted paint bottles is caused to flow from the paint bottles through the tubes to the pad housings and thereafter to the porous pads to provide finger painting operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,549 discloses a children's toy finger painting system for dispensing a finger paint composition onto a substrate which includes a frame means having a base member and a cover member having a window opening therein, a substrate securing means for securing a paint receiving substrate to a substrate receiving area on the frame means, a paint dispensing means operatively associated with the frame means for dispensing liquid paint onto the paint receiving substrate and a transparent, flexible barrier means which is positioned within the window of the cover and in general structural alignment with the substrate receiving area and which permits the movement of paint across the substrate without direct physical contact with the paint.
The design and performance of such prior art devices and processes in some settings is not completely satisfactory. For example, some of the above-mentioned devices require the user to possess motor skills and artistic ability beyond that of some users, e.g., a small child, and, therefore, would not attract that particular user's attention, motivate the user to try it or, after having initially experimented with the device, to stick with it beyond the initial appeal of just something new and different.
It would be desirable to have a device which allows the user to express the user's creativity to create at any time a visible colorful unique work of art.
It would also be desirable to have a device for creating artistic designs which enables the user, especially in the case of a child, to play with the device without coming into direct contact with the medium used to create the design and which, at the same time, provides a device which is relatively inexpensive, simple in design and use, sturdy, educational, fun, safe, portable and which is not messy.
In addition, the inclusion of such an easily operable device in a kit which further includes materials, e.g., to decorate the device or to attach the device to desirable surfaces, such as, for example, a window, further facilitates the user's expression of the user's artistic creativity.
As the state of the art for devices for creating artistic designs which permit the user to create unique works of art without the user coming into direct contact with the medium used to create the designs continues to move forward, new techniques and materials continue to be developed by those of skill in the art in order to meet the performance criteria required of such devices and materials thereof, including the entertainment provided therefrom.
The present invention is drawn to novel devices for creating artistic designs which are simple in approach and execution, and which enable the user to create a unique work of art without the user coming into direct contact with medium used to create the designs.